Fan ownership only works when strong voices step forward, this is your opportunity to be one of them.
The PTFC Trust is seeking Expressions of Interest to fill a vacancy for the position of Fan Representative Director at Partick Thistle Football Club. There is currently one Fan Representative Director in post (Alistair Gray) and one vacancy. These positions exist as a consequence of Partick Thistle being a majority fan-owned Football Club, and are guaranteed under our Club-Trust Agreement.
Fan Representative Directors serve alongside the rest of the Club Board, and they provide a direct link between the wider Thistle fanbase and the Football Club’s senior leadership team. They are there to ensure supporter voices are at the heart of the Club’s decision-making and culture, and to improve engagement and communication with the 2,500+ fan owners.
The successful candidate in this process will serve a term of just over two years on the Club Board, until the late 2028 Annual General Meeting (AGM). You can learn more about the role itself, and what is expected of Fan Rep Directors, in the role description document linked below.
Lessons learned on the appointments process
Previously, Fan Representative Director vacancies were filled by a completely unfiltered democratic process. Any beneficiary of the PTFC Trust, who was not otherwise disqualified from serving as a director of a limited company in the UK, was eligible to stand for election. All candidates to put their names forward were eligible to be included on the beneficiary ballot. Under that process it was for the beneficiaries alone, the fan owners themselves, to assess the suitability and fit of individual candidates for the role.
We recognise, just over two years on from the implementation of that original process, that this “pure” form of democracy has come with a number of challenges, and that it is not the best model for the outcomes we want at Partick Thistle.
Firstly, we have received feedback to the effect that a “pure” democratic process was off-putting to potentially very capable and suitable candidates: the prospect of appointments being based on a mere “popularity contest” deterred those with substantial relevant experience and skills from standing.
Secondly, supporters have told us that they want greater assurance that the candidates who do come forward are, as with other Board Directors, suitably qualified and experienced to take on the role. Fans wanted to know that a prior assessment has already been made by the trustees as to the suitability of prospective candidates before the wider fanbase is asked to make a decision.
The new appointments process
In light of that feedback, we have introduced a new “sifting” mechanism as part of the appointments process. All future Fan Rep Director appointments will now follow a three-stage process:
Phase 1 – Confidential Expression of Interest: Applicants must submit, confidentially, a traditional CV alongside a Statement of Expression of Interest (no more than 500 words). The candidates should clearly outline their relevant experience, their core priorities if appointed to the role, and the time commitment they are realistically able to dedicate to their duties as a Club Director.
Phase 2 – Shortlisting: The trustees will review all Expressions of Interest and, if necessary, conduct interviews with some or all of the applicants. From this pool of candidates, a shortlist of up to three names will be selected.
Phase 3 – Democratic Vote: The final candidate or candidates will then be put forward to a democratic vote by the PTFC Trust’s beneficiaries.
How to apply
If you have the skills, dedication, time and passion to represent your fellow Jags fans at the highest level, the trustees want to hear from you.
Please prepare your CV and Statement of Expression of Interest (no more than 500 words) addressing the role criteria. We recommend that all prospective candidates read the Role Description and use this to inform their “pitch”.
If you have any questions about the role, or what it involves, you can (confidentially) contact the Trustees (contact@theptfctrust.co.uk).
The deadline for submitting an expression of interest is Sunday 30th August 2026 at 23:55 BST (though applications are encouraged before then) and we anticipate that the beneficiary ballot will take place in mid to late September 2026.
This will allow the successful candidate to join the Club Board before its next AGM, which we anticipate will be in late 2026.